Big Open House Kicks Off New Era At OREC

The Onawa Racing and Events Complex (OREC) in Onawa, Iowa held an open house on Saturday, October 14 to a packed crowd of enthusiast racers and fans.

“With over 500 people in attendance we gave out more than 200 racer surveys as we continue to measure the pulse of the racers,” said Scott Gardner of Gardner Race Track Consultants. “That information will be used to develop the class structure and programs that will be announced early this winter so the racers and fans can plan ahead for the 2018 season” continued Gardner.

OREC will open in 2018 at an IHRA eighth-mile dragstrip and events center and will be developed into a quarter-mile facility as additional funds are raised. “The opening date is a moving target based on the weather conditions for the work that needs to be completed as the board of directors are committed to getting the facility opened as soon as possible next year” mentioned Gardner.

In addition the sportsman racers and fans in attendance, Jet car owner and driver Mitch McCormick was on hand and presented the Board of Directors a beautifully framed picture of his “Miss Elle” jet dragster and Terrel Hobbiebrunken had his awesome 1962 “Super Shifter” Ford Fairlane on display along with the attention-getting Junior Dragsters of Taylor Hansen driving for Adler racing.